We've all grown up hearing that red wine is sooo good for us. Was it a lie parents told us so they could drink more? Nope, they were right. So what's red wine's little secret?

The answer lies in a polyphenol compound known as resveratrol. Though much more studies need to be done to get all scientists on board, resveratrol contains anti-aging, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Basically, all the good of red wine is in resveratrol (other than the buzz). And wouldn't you know, red wine is the most important dietary source for that magic polyphenol.

Heather Hausenblas, a researcher in a study about resveratrol, says that:

"We're all looking for an anti-aging cure in a pill, but it doesn't exist. But what does exist shows promise of lessening many of the scourges and infirmities of old age,"

Basically, red wine can't bring you back to your beer chugging youth but it can help you age a little more gracefully. Resveratrol, when tested on animals, prevented "the growth of some cancers in mice, inhibits enzymes that cause inflammation, shrinks tumors and increases blood flow, thus reducing cardiovascular diseases. In many cases, it also extends the life of obese animals." In any case, I think I'm going to test out these health properties myself. [Medical Xpress, Image Credit: Shutterstock/Igor Kilmov]